Trash removal apparatus for sugar cane harvesters

ABSTRACT

Trash removal apparatus for a sugar cane harvester in which an axial flow fan located in a duct sucks air through harvested cane and discharges the air vertically. An annular opening is formed in the duct close to the fan on the pressure side of the fan. Trash passing through the fan is rotated thereby and passes through said opening under the action of centrifugal forces. A volute shaped discharge duct receives the trash and discharges it in a desired direction.

United States Patent [1 1 Quick 5] Dec. 9, 1975 [5 TRASH REMOVAL APPARATUS FOR 3.199,212 8/1965 Foure 209/l44 x SUGAR CANE l-[ARV'ESTERS 3.397.522 8/l968 Sanderson et al 209/139 R X 3,630,64l l2/l97l Staveren 55/229 X Inventor: Donald Jonathon Quick, Bundaberg, 3,693,331 9/1912 Richter et al. 209/139 R x Australia 3,788.048 l/l974 Stiff et al. 209/250 X 55 396 X [73] Assignee: Massey-Ferguson Services N.V., 38O2l62 4/1974 Deane I Curacao, Netherlands Antilles Primary Examiner-Frank W. Lutter 2 F 1974 [2 1 "ed Oct 16 Assistant Examiner-Ralph J. Hill PP 515,287 Attorney, Agent, or FirmRobert L. Farris Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 20 i973 United Kingdom 53714/73 [57] ABSTRACT I Trash removal apparatus for a sugar cane harvester in [52] Cl 209/3 209/l39 which an axial flow fan located in a duct sucks air through harvested cane and discharges the air vertig g ig g cally. An annular opening is formed in the duct close I l n I 3 to the fan on the pressure side of the fan. Trash pass- 209/[43 55/396 i ing through the fan is rotated thereby and passes through said opening under the action of centrifugal forces. A volute shaped discharge duct receives the [56] References cued trash and discharges it in a desired direction.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 767,72! 8/1904 Swartwout 55/396 14 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 9, 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,925,199

U.S. Patent Dec. 9, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,925,199

III

TRASH REMOVAL APPARATUS FOR SUGAR CANE HARVESTERS This invention relates to sugar cane harvesters, and in particular to trash removal apparatus for sugar cane harvesters.

Presently known trash removal apparatus uses a fan to draw air through harvested cane and entrain trash therewith. Problems which arise in such apparatus in- An aim of the present invention is to provide improvements in one or both of these respects.

According to the invention there is provided a sugar cane harvester including cane dividing means capable of cutting each harvested cane stick into two or more pieces, and trash removal apparatus capable of removing trash from the cane pieces, the trash removal apparatus comprising an axial flow extractor fan capable of drawing air through the cane pieces, and structure defining an air outlet on the pressure side of the fan to receive air passisng through the fan in the axial direction, charaterized by structure defining an annular trashreceiving opening between the fan and the outlet, the fan being capable of causing trash passing through the fan to pass through said opening under the action of centrifugal forces.

The provision of an annular trash-receiving opening in the trash removal apparatus allows a large proportion of the trash passing through the trash removal apparatus to be separated from the main airstream, whereby the trash can be discharged in any desired direction, in a simple manner. Preferably the trashreceiving opening is located immediately adjacent the fan.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a sugar cane harvester in side elevation and partly cut-away to show its internal structure;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of trash removal apparatus in the harvester of FIG. I viewed in the direction indicated by arrow ll therein; and

FIG. 3 shows a section on the line llIIII in H6. 2.

As shown in FIG. 1 a sugar cane harvester 10 comprises cane topping apparatus 12, crop lifters l4, twin contra-rotating base cutter discs 16 and feed rollers 18, 20 and 22. Cane dividing means, consisting of a pair of cane chopper drums 24 each carrying a pair of opposed axially extending blades, is positioned to receive cane sticks from rollers 22.

Cane harvester 10 further comprises three paddletype flipper-rollers 26, first trash removal apparatus 28, a chain and slat elevator 30, and second trash removal apparatus 32.

The structure of trash-removal apparatus 28 is substantially the same as that of the apparatus 32 and is best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Trash removal apparatus 28 comprises an axial flow extractor fan 34 having fan blades 36 and operative to draw air through the cane pieces 38 as they cascade through a trash removal zone 40.

A cylindrical inlet duct 42 is located on the suction side of fan 34 and one end 44 thereof lies closely adjacent to the fan blades 36. Duct 42 and fan 34 have a 2 common axis 46. The diameter of the duct is approximately 10 per cent smaller than that of the fan blades.

Fan 34 rotates within a second cylindrical duct 48 on which the inlet duct 42 is mounted. Second duct 48 opens into trash guide means constituted by a tapering volute duct 50.

For aerodynamic reasons, a smoothly curved lip 52 is formed at the joint between second duct 48 and volute duct 50, and the cross-sectional shape of the volute duct is smoothly-curved or rounded.

Lip 52 constitutes one edge of an annular trashreceiving opening 54. The other edge 56 of opening 54 is constituted by the circular lower edge of a generally trumpet-shaped portion 58 of volute duct 50 which provides an outlet on the pressure side of fan 34 to receive air passing through the fan in the axial direction. Edge 56 is arranged coaxially with duct 42 and the fan, and its diameter is somewhat smaller than that of duct 42 and fan blades 36.

The cross-sectional area of volute duct 50 increases from one end 58 thereof to the open other end 60, which latter constitutes a trash discharge opening.

Fan 34 is mounted on volute duct 50 by means of three radial arms 62 welded at one end to the duct and at their other ends to a tapering housing 64 for a hydraulic motor (not shown) which drives the fan. The cylindrical duct 48 which carries volute duct 50 is itself mounted on the superstructure 66 of the cane harvester and thereby supports the entire trash removal apparatus s28. An annular bearing 68 in the wall of duct 48 permits angular adjustment of volute duct 50, by me ans of a hand lever (not shown) or a hydraulic ram, about axis 46 to change the direction in which trash discharge opening 60 faces.

The annular space 70 between the inlet duct 42 and the cylindrical second duct 48 is closed at its lower end by a frusto-conical flange 72 and at a distance below the upper end by a second flange 74. At the upper end of duct 42, flange 74 and the two ducts 42, 48 define an annular open-ended cavity 76 the dimensions of which are such as to cause an annular air vortex 78 to be set up adjacent the upper end 44 of duct 42. The dimensions of cavity 76 required to creat a vortex are deter mined by experimental air flow tests and depend on the rate of air flow through the fan amongst other factors. The width of the cavity measured in the radial direction may be between k inch and 2 inches and is preferably about 1 inch. The depth of the cavity measured in the axial direction with respect to the fan may be between one half and three quarters of the width of the cavity.

Eight inwardly extending vanes 80 are mounted at equally spaced positions around the inside surface of inlet duct 42 to reduce rotation of the air before the air intercepts fan blades 36.

In use, severed cane sticks are fed by rollers 22 to the chopper drums 24 and the cane billets 38 so produced are fed to trash removal zone 40. Fan 34 draws air through the cascade of billets and entrains trash the rewith. The major part of the air passes in an axial direction directly out of apparatus 28 through the outlet defined by edge 56 of volute duct 50.

The remainder of the air together with substantially all the trash is caused by centrifugal forces arising from the rotary action of fan blades 36 to pass through annular opening 54 into volute duct 50 and is discharged at the end 60 thereof in the desired direction.

Trash removal apparatus 32 operates in the same manner as apparatus 28 to remove any remaining trash 3 from the billets as they fall from the top of elevator 30 into a trailer 82.

Amongst other advantages provided by the trash removal apparatus described above are:

l. The facility to direct trash in any desired direction to either side of the harvester, so as to avoid discharging trash into unharvested crop or into the chopped cane either before or after its deposition in trailer 82. This allows a direction of discharge to be chosen which takes account of wind direction.

2. The diameter of inlet duct 42 is smaller than that of the fan blades and this avoids the trapping of trash in the necessarily small clearance gap between the tips of the blades and duct 48 thereby avoiding a reduction in fan efficiency.

3. The creation of vortex 78 reduces frictional resistance to air flow through the end 44 of duct 42.

4. Provision of a large air outlet opening 56 minimises back pressure on the fan and therefore minimises its power consumption.

5. Since the entire air flow does not pass through volute duct 50, its dimensions can be smaller than would otherwise be necessary. This allows a reduction in height of the harvester.

6. The fan supports 62 are not located in the path of the trash flow and therefore trash build-up on the supports which otherwise partly blocks the air outlet of trash removal appartus does not occur to any significant extent.

I claim:

1. A sugar cane harvester including a frame, cane dividing means mounted on the frame for cutting each harvested cane stick into two or more pieces, and trash removal means mounted on the frame for removing trash from the can pieces that have been cut by the cane dividing means, the trash removal means comprising an axial flow extractor fan capable of drawing air through the cane pieces, and means defining an air outlet on the pressure side of the fan for receiving air passing through the fan in the axial direction characterized by means defining an annular trash-receiving opening between the fan and the outlet for receiving trash passing through the fan to pass through said opening under the action of centrifugal forces.

2. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 characterized in that said trash-receiving opening is located immediately adjacent the fan, on the pressure side of the fan.

3. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 characterized in that the dimensions of the means defining the air outlet on the pressure side of the fan are such that the outlet lies within the axial projection of the circle described by the fan blades.

4. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 characterized in that the means defining the air outlet on the pressure side of the fan also serves to define one edge of the annular trash-receiving opening.

5. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 4 characterized in that the other edge of the annular trashreceiving opening lies outside the axial projection of the circle described by the fan blades.

6. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 5 characterized in that said other edge has a rounded profile.

7. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 characterized in that the means defining the outlet on the pressure side of the fan is generally trumpet-shaped and arranged with its smaller diameter end nearer to the fan.

8. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 characterized by a trash guide duct mounted on the harvester adjacent to the pressure side of the fan for intercepting trash passing through said annular trash-receiving opening.

9. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 8 characterized in that said trash guide duct includes a vol ute duct.

10. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 9 characterized in that the volute duct is mounted so as to be angularly movable about the axis of rotation of the fan to change the direction of discharge of trash.

1 l. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 9 characterized in that the volute duct has a curved axial cross-sectional shape.

12. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 characterized by a duct located on the suction side of the fan and leading to the fan characterized in that the inside edge of the duct at the end thereof adjacent the fan is of such dimensions as to lie within the axial projection of the circle described by the fan blades.

13. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 12 characterized in that inwardly-extending vanes are mounted in the duct located on the suction side of the fan for reducing rotation of air before the air intercepts the fan.

14. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 12 characterized in that the duct located on the suction side of the fan is cylindrical. 

1. A SUGAR CANE HARVEST INCLUDING A FRAME, CANE DIVIDING MEANS MOUNTED ON THE FRAME FOR CUTTING EACH HARVESTED CANE STICK INTO TWO OR MORE PIECES, AND TRASH REMOVAL MEANS MOUNTED ON THE FRAME FOR REMOVING TRASH FROM THE CAN PIECES THAT HAVE BEEN CUT BY THE CANE DIVIDING MEANS, THE TRASH REMOVAL MEANS COMPRISING AN AXIAL FLOW EXTRACTOR FAN CAPABLE OF DRAWING AIR THROUGH THE CANE PIECES, AND MEANS DEFINING AN AIR OUTLET ON THE PRESSURE SIDE OF THE FAN FOR RECEIVING AIR PASSING THROUGH THE FAN IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION CHATACTERIZED BY MEANS DEFINING AN ANNULAR TRASH-RECEIVING OPENING BETWEEN THE FAN AND THE OUTLET FOR RECEIVING TRASH PASSING THRUGH THE FAN TO PASS THROUGH SAID OPENING UNDER THE ACTION OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCES.
 2. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 characterized in that said trash-receiving opening is located immediately adjacent the fan, on the pressure side of the fan.
 3. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 characterized in that the dimensions of the means defining the air outlet on the pressure side of the fan are such that the outlet lies within the axial projection of the circle described by the fan blades.
 4. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 characterized in that the means defining the air outlet on the pressure side of the fan also serves to define one edge of the annular trash-receiving opening.
 5. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 4 characterized in that the other edge of the annular trash-receiving opening lies outside the axial projection of the circle described by the fan blades.
 6. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 5 characterized in that said other edge has a rounded profile.
 7. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 characterized in that the means defining the outlet on the pressure side of the fan is generally trumpet-shaped and arranged with its smaller diameter end nearer to the fan.
 8. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 characterized by a trash guide duct mounted on the harvester adjacent to the pressure side of the fan for intercepting trash passing through said annular trash-receiving opening.
 9. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 8 characterized in that said trash guide duct includes a volute duct.
 10. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 9 characterized in that the volute duct is mounted so as to be angularly movable about the axis of rotation of the fan to change the direction of discharge of trash.
 11. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 9 characterized in that the volute duct has a curved axial cross-sectional shape.
 12. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 characterized by a duct located on the suction side of the fan and leading to the fan characterized in that the inside edge of the duct at the end thereof adjacent the fan is of such dimensions as to lie within the axial projection of the circle described by the fan blades.
 13. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 12 characterized in that inwardly-extending vanes are mounted in the duct located on the suction side of the fan for reducing rotation of air before the air intercepts the fan.
 14. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 12 characterized in that the duct located on the suction side of the fan is cylindrical. 